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Both Sudan and South Sudan are heavily dependent on oil revenues

Landlocked South Sudan has signed a second oil pipeline deal in a bid to reduce its dependence on Sudan - amid a deepening oil crisis.

The only export route for southern oil - which makes up 98% of its budget - is via its northern neighbour.

The latest plan is to build a pipeline to the port of Djibouti on the Red Sea via neighbouring Ethiopia.

South Sudan last month stopped production in a transit fees row and accused Khartoum of stealing its oil.

A memorandum of understanding was signed during talks in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, earlier this month, South Sudan's Minister for Information Barnaba Marial Benjamin told the AFP news agency.

Chinese, US and European companies have shown interest in carrying out feasibility studies, Mr Benjamin said.

Djibouti - on the Gulf of Aden at the entrance to the Red Sea - is at least 1,000km (625 miles)away from South Sudan's oil fields, and crosses remote, difficult terrain where South Sudanese and other militia groups operate.

Last month, South Sudan's government signed a deal with Kenya to link its oil fields to the port of Lamu.